BELGRADE — Absentee ballots for the town meeting election are available at the Belgrade Town Office during regular business hours.

For information, call 495-2258.

Two groups get $325,000 in grants to fight hunger

PORTLAND — Two Maine organizations are getting $325,000 in federal grants to help fight hunger.

The two grants in Maine are among 27 grants totaling $4.8 million awarded nationwide by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Cultivating Community, a nonprofit agency in Portland that promotes community development through agriculture training programs, will receive $300,000, while the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn is getting $25,000.

State agency issues car-buying guide

GARDINER — A state agency is promoting its guide giving tips on how Maine consumers can evaluate financing options for a buying a vehicle and protect their rights.

The “Downeaster Guide to Consumer Credit” is put out by the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection.

The bureau says the guide gives pointers on things such as how to get the best price for a trade-in, compare credit options and learn about a vehicle’s reliability.

The guide is available by calling the agency or www.credit.maine.gov and clicking on “consumer guides.”